Working Girl [HD]

Oh, to be 30 again!
When I first saw this movie, I was about 25 years old, and when I heard that the two women characters were both 30, I thought to myself, "How old!" Ahem. Now being a few years past 30 myself, I'm thinking, "wow, Sigourney Weaver had gotten so far so young!" Shows you what 15 years'll do for ya.

Just saw it for only the second time the other night at the New-York Historical Society, tie in to their "Women in Business" exhibit with a gaggle of girlfriends. I was a little antsy, because I was afraid maybe it wasn't going to be as good as I recalled. But thanks be, it was! And the girlfriends all loved it, too, except that Lorraine wondered why it was her coworker's favorite movie. I can't answer that, but it's a great ride notwithstanding.

Melanie Griffith turns in her best performance as our Working Girl, an extremely competent would-be businesswoman. Trouble is, with her big hair, jingle jangle bangles, and questionable wardrobe, she's having a hard time being taken seriously...

an upbeat movie with an unforgettable theme song
It's been 15 years since I first saw this movie. All these years I still remember the opening scene where Tess (Melanie Griffth), in her secretary outfit but wearing sports shoes, was on the ferry heading for the concrete jungle in Manhattan, accompanied by the unforgettable chorus of the theme song. It was early in the morning and Tess was just one of the many working at the low echelon for the big corporations.

Having seen the movie again on DVD recently, I find the plot itself original and not a bit out of date. The clothes and hairstyles of the actresses are conspicuously different (afterall, it's the 80's). Apart from that, the movie itself enticed the audience with its dramatic breadth and emotional depth.

As the story unfolded, Tess, a secretary who went to night schools and read magazines to upgrade herself, thought she striked gold when she explained her idea to her "understanding" boss Katharine (Sigourney Weaver), only to find later that Katharine...

Ethically questionable but otherwise superb
I missed this film in theatrical release, but manage to watch it whenever I can on television. I recently purchased the DVD only to discover that there were several generally amusing scenes in the trailer that never made it into the movie - a bit of a mystery.

The screenplay for this movie starts with a somewhat shaky premise that the means justify the end - that if you can't get an honest break but happen to work for an unethical boss who steals your ideas and gives you no credit, you can be as manipulative as you wish to get a chance to show how smart you are. This is hardly a palatable business lesson, ladies and gentlemen, and I have to fight down my qualms about this with every viewing.

That said, and with that reservation, as a movie, it has a lot going for it: seamless direction by Mike Nichols; flawless ensemble acting from Melanie Griffiths, Sigourney Weaver, Harrison Ford (sigh!), Joan Cusack (with the most outrageous eye makeup in history)and people like Oliver Platt,...

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